Display and dispensing rack



0ct. 5, 1937. H. H. BARNES 2,094,755

DISPLAY AND DISPESING RACK v Filed Aug. 29. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I-Is WImam/bolo '-Oct. 5? 1937.v l H, BARNES I 2,094,765

' DISPLAY vAND IS'ISPENSING RACK Filed Aug. 29. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STAT 1* DFFIQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of dispensing display fixtures andpertains particularly to a fixture which is designed for dispensingarticles of the nature of cans.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fixturewhich is designed primarily for the display of cans of material,particularly cans of oil, and for the releasing of single cans fordischarge from the display as` needed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism wherebyheavy cans of oil or other canned material may be dropped from avertically arranged display `group or through a vertically disposedguide from a horizontally arranged group onto a receiver and have itsmovement checked in dropping so that no damage will be done to the can.

A still further object of the invention is lto provide a novel mechanismwhereby a single can of material will be released for dischargeautomatically upon the removal of a can previously discharged frorn thedisplayed group.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not conned to any strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long assuch changes or modifications markno material departure from the salientfeatures of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a display rack showing thedischarge mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the rack illustrated in Figurel.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially `upon the line 3--3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken upon the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a View in vertical section through a modified form of rackshowing can discharging means and means for shifting the cans thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, thedisplay rack illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 c'omprises a base or platformI having supporting front legs 2 and connected at its back to uprights 3which, at their lower ends, provide back legs for the platform, asillustrated in Figure 1.

Disposed inY upwardly and rearwardly inclined (Cl. B12-45) position uponthe platform I are a series of pairs of guides Ll. Each of these guidesof each pair comprises a channel shaped member having the flanges 5arranged in opposed relation with the iianges of the other member sothat a can or other object of circular cross section may be positionedtherebetween, as illustrated in Figure 4, so as to have movementlongitudinally of the guides without falling out from between the same.As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the guide members d which lie between theoutermost ones are in back to back relation so that one strengthens andgives added rigidity to the other and, if desired, for the purpose ofstrengthening the structure, the outeriguides may have similar channelshaped members secured in back to back relation therewith.

The anges 5 of each pair of guides are cut away adjacent the lower endsthereof, as indicated by the numeral 6 in Figure 2, so that a can ofmaterial reaching the bottom of the guides, may be conveniently removedtherefrom.

Supported at their upper ends in any convenient manner, such as byrearwardly converging arms i secured to each pair of guides, is a pairof downwardly and forwardly curving skids, each of which is indicated bythe numeral These skids, as shown in Figure 2, are disposed centrallybetween each pair of guides and terminate at their forward ends at theforward edge of the platform I. As shown in Figure 2, a guideway isprovided for large cans and one or more is provided for smaller cans.The skids 8 are shown between the guides which are designed to handlethe larger cans and the skids 3 which are of the same design as theskids 8 are associated with the .guides which handle the smaller cans.However, at the forward ends of the skids 8 a stop 9 is located upon theplatform I to prevent the cans from falling oi the platform, whereas adifferent stop means is provided in association with the skids 8 as willbe described.

In association with the large can handling portion of the structure,there is provided a pair of posts IEI located behind the skids 8, andoscillatably sup-ported upon a shaft I I which these posts carry is arelatively long oscillating frame I2 which is made up of two side railsconnected at the forward ends by the cross rail I3 which stands at aslightly higher elevation than the side rails and which serves as a stopmeans for a can as the same moves down the skids 8, in the mannerillustrated in Figure 1. The frame I2 has portions of the sides thereoflying between the shaft II and the forward end I3 offset or dropped, as

indicated at I4, so that when the frame is in the lowered position shownin Figure l it will be well below the skids 8.

At its rear end, the frame I2 has its sides connected by a shaft I5 andthis shaft is pivotally attached to a cylinder I6 in which is anapertured piston I'I, which is connected by a rod I8 with a suitablesupport I9 on the frame of the rack.

The piston being fixed on the support I9, theY oscillation of the frameI2 causes the cylinder to move thereon and the cylinder is filled withoil or any other suitable fluid which passes through the aperture of thepiston and thus servesto prevent the too rapid movement of the cylinderand the frame connected therewith. Within the cylinder beneath thepiston is a spring 20 which acts, when a can is removed from the forwardend of the frame I2, to force the rear end downwardly so that the framewill rise to the positionV in which it is shown in dotted lines inFigure 1.

Oscillatably supported upon a pivot pin 2| which is carried by the skids8, is a trigger arm 22, the lower free end of which has a sharp upwardcurve to forrrr'the Contact portion 23 which projects upwardly betweenthe skids 8 to be struck by a'can moving downwardly on the skids. At itsupper end, the trigger 22 is formed to provide an inwardly projectingdog 24 which assumes a position normally to Ysupport all of the cans onthe display rack which lie above the one can which has been dischargedonto the skids.

'Ihe shaft Il, which supports the frameV i2, and which oscillates withthe frame, carries a cam member V25 which acts during a period ofoperation of the apparatus to engage the lower end of the trigger 22Vand force the same to swing forwardly in the manner about tobe'described.

When the area between the guides for the large cans is filled with thecans, as'illustrated in Figure l, and one of the cans rests in theinclined position illustrated, it' will be supported upon the forwardend of the oscillating frame I2 and held` by its contact with the barI3Y thereof. It will also rest against the tail portion 23 of thetrigger 22. When this can is removed, the forward end of the frame I2will be released and the spring 2i) in the cylinder I6 will force thecylinder down to depress the rear end of the frame I2 and raise theforward end in the manner illustrated in dotted outline. During thisraising movement of the frame, the cam 25 will engage the trigger 22below the pivot point 2l therefor and will oscillate the trigger so asto remove the dog 21! from beneath the neXt canV of the overlying group.'Ihe released can drops, strikes the raised end or bar portion I3 of theframe I2 and forces the latter down at the same time forcing thecylinder upwardly so that the oil therein is forced through the apertureof the piston and the rapid descent of the can is checked. As the lowerend of the can swings forwardly on the skids an openingV will be formedbetween its upper end and the next can above so that theY dog may movein beneath the next can under the urge of the lower can againstY itsupwardly curved lower end.

In the handling of smaller or lighter cans of material, the oscillatingframe and oil cylinder are not employed. There is employed, however, anoscillating trigger similar to the Vtrigger 22, which is indicated bythe numeral V25. This trigger is mounted upon a supporting pivot pin 26which is carried bythe skids 8 and has its lower end curved sharplyforwardly and downwardly to form the tail piece 21 which projectsbetween the skids 8' in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.V At itsupper end, a dog 28 is formed which engages beneath the lower one of thegroup of cans lying above the one which is in position to be removed soas to hold this group back to permit the lower can to be taken out whennecessary. When the lowermost can, which is resting'upon the skids 8against the stop 9 as shown in Figure 3, is taken out, a spring 29 whichconnects the upper Vend of the trigger 25 with a Yfixed portion of theframe, pulls the upper part of the trigger back so that the dog 28 willrelease the next can and allow it to move downwardly.

V,In its downward movement it strikes the end porthese supporting beamsa vertical guide or chute 3i is arranged into which the cans are movedsingly and from which they are discharged downwardly onto forwardlycurving skids, one of which is indicated by the numeral 32.

Extending transversely beneath the can sup- Y porting beams 30 are guidebars 33 and 34 which support a plate 35 Vwhich is provided with alongitudinally extending row of apertures 36. The row of apertures isdisposed in the area between the opposed flanges of the bars 30 andthese are adapted to be selectively engaged by a spring pressed pawl 31carried by a Ypusher block 38 which is slidably mounted upon the bars 30and engages the last'or rear can of the group upon the rack. Means inthe form of a lever39 which is oscillatably mountedin any suitablemanner,

as indicated at 4B, is Aprovided for reciprocatingV the j aperturedplate 35. The upper end of the leverhas a loose connection of anysuitable character such as is indicated by the numeral 4I, with theplate so'that when the lever is oscillated, the plate will be Caused toreciprocate and when moved rearwardly it will slide beneath the springpressed pawl 3l so as to permit the same'to enter another aperture andthen when the plate is moved forwardly, the pawl will hold in the`aperture and force the pusher block 38 forwardly to move the row of cansso that the forward one of the row will drop into the chute 3l onto theskids 32.

The fall of the can as it leaves the chute 3l Ywill Vbe checked by itsContact with theV oscillatplay and no damage will be done to the othersasY they move forward into a position where another may be removed ifrequired. By means of the shock absorbing mechanism, theV descent of thecans is slowedup so that the possibility of bursting the cans isavoided.

While referencehas been made through Vthe specification to thedisplaying and dispensing of cans of oil from the present apparatus,itis to be understood that the use of the apparatus is not to beconfined to this article as it will be obvious it may be used fordisplaying and dispensing canned goods of any character, or fordispensing any other type of packaged article.

While in Fig. 3 a spring has been illustrated for effecting the returnmovement of the arm 25, it will be obvious that this also acts to aslight degree as a check to the downward movement of the can when itstrikes theend 21 of the arm by reason of the fact that the spring isplaced under tension when the lower end of the arm is depressed. It willbe obvious that this spring element may, if desired, be replaced by anyother suitable type of shock absorbing device.

It will also be obvious that although the structures illustrated havebeen sho-wn as upon frames, they may be encased in housings of anySuitable character with transparent walls to effect the display of thecontents.

l. A dispenser of the character described, comprising means forsupporting a plurality of articles in a vertical line, a receivercomprising a downwardly and forwardly curving skid disposed beneath saidline, an arm oscillatably mounted adjacent said skid and having a dog atone end adapted to retain said line of articles against movement, atail-piece 4forming an extension of said arm and projecting across thesurface of said skid for contact with a descending article, a leverpivotally mounted adjacent the skid and having one end projecting intothe line of descent of an article, a dash pot coupled with the other endof said lever, spring means associated with said other end of the leverand normally urging the first end upwardly in the skid toward the lowerpart of the article supporting means, and a cam member carried by thelever and engaging said arm upon the movement of said lever end upwardlyto effect the retraction of the dog from beneath the line of articles.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a carrier for aplurality of articles from which carrier the articles are dischargedsingly downwardly, a downwardly and forwardly curving skid for receivinga discharged article, a vertically disposed oscillatably mounted memberadapted to support upon its upper end an article in the carrier, a tailextending down from said member formed to describe an ogee curve, thefree end of the tail being disposed adjacent the lower end of the -skidand the lower part of the curve bowing into the skid to be struck by anarticle descending therein, said lower part of the tail being constantlyengaged by an article while in the skid, and means for oscillating saidmember and tail when an article is removed from the skid to release anarticle from the carrier.

3. In an article dispenser, a pair of .spaced parallel channel membersarranged with the channels in opposed relation and having the opposedfaces of the channels spaced apart a distance sufficient to snuglyreceive an article vertically therebetween, said channel members eachhaving a portion of its flange cut away on one side at the bottom of thedispenser to facilitate the removal of an article, a downwardly andforwardly curving skidway in the lower part of the dispenser fordirecting articles through the cut away parts of the channels, anelongated member pivotally mounted on an axis extending across theskidway and having its upper end at an elevation to enter the skidway atthe yupper end of the latter to support a series of articles between thechannel members, the lower end of said pivoted member being positionedin the lower part of the skidway, and resilient means normally urgingthepivoted member to oscillate in a direction to remove its upper endfrom beneath an overlying article for discharge into the skidway.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a carrier for aplurality of articles from which carrier the articles are dischargedsingly downwardly, a downwardly and forwardly curving skid for receivinga discharged article, a vertically disposed oscillatably mounted memberadapted to support upon its upper end an article in the carrier, a tailextending down from said member formed to describe an ogee curve, thefree end of the tail being disposed adjacent the lower end of the skidand the lower part of the curve bowing into the skid to be struck by anarticle ydescending therein, said lower part of the tail beingconstantly engaged by an article while in the skid, a pivot supportdisposed transversely of said skid and rearwardly thereof, an armsecured to said support and extending forwardly relative tol the skid,said arm when oscillated upwardly having its free end disposed beneaththe lower one of the articles in said carrier, resilient means normallyurging said arm to oscillate upwardly, and a cam member coupled withsaid arm to oscillate therewith and arranged to engage and exert aforward swinging movement upon the said tail portion of the oscillatablemember as said arm swings upwardly.

HAROLD H. BARNES.

